Marine tow rope elevator



Feb. 9, 1960 J. P. BRIDGES MARINE TOW ROPE ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 13, 1956 INVENTOR J P BRIDGES ATTORNEY United Sta es Patent MARINE TOW ROPE ELEVATOR Joseph P. Bridges, Lakeland, Fla., assignor to Cypress Gardens SkisInc Winter Haven, 1 1a,, a corporation Appligatiou August 13, 1956, Serial No. 6Q3, 9Q Clflil se l,-. 4=%

This invention relates to marine activities of various kinds including boating, to sports such as water skiing, and the like, and to the towing of a person or object by a cable or the like on the surface of the water.

The invention relates particularly to water skiing or towing of a person or an object in which the tow rope is relatively long and awkward to handle and sometimes lost or damaged.

In water skiing, a tow rope which is usually costly is attached to a boat or propelling vessel and the skier clings to the tow rope at a distance from the boat. When the towing boat is propelled by an outboard motor or other power plant in which the propeller is located at the rear of the boat, upon release of the tow rope trouble is encountered by the rope sinking into the water where it is hard to locate and where it may come in contact with the propeller of the craft causing damage to both rope and propeller.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the dimculties enumerated and to provide a resilient tow rope lifter which will not interfere with the use of the rope during towing but which will automatically elevate it to a higher elevation so that it will be kept out of contact with the propeller of the boat and in a position to be easily located and grasped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive tow rope litter and holder which can be readily manufactured and applied and which will not interfere with the operation of the rope when water skiing or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating the use of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary perspective of the rear end of the structure Fig. 1 without tension on the tow rope;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the tow rope elevator with parts broken away;

Fig. 4, a top plan view of the mounting bracket for the elevator;

Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 2 embodying a modified type of mounting bracket; and

Fig. 6, an enlarged perspective of the mounting bracket of Fig. 5.

Briefly stated, the present invention is an elevator for a tow line such as that employed in water skiing or activities where persons or objects are towed behind a propelling vehicle or craft and which tow line ordinarily will sink in the water and is likely to become entangled in the propeller of the craft when tension on the line is relaxed. The elevator includes an elongated member adapted to have one end secured to the propelling craft and having a loop at its opposite end through which the tow line passes, the elevator having a resilient intermediate portion of any desired configuration as, for example, a coil.

In the use of the device the elevator normally will 7 2,924,193 Patented Feb. 9, 19 50 2 be depressed when tension is applied to the tow line and is free to follow the movement of the tow line. Upon relaxation of such tension, due to the resiliency of the elevator the loop through which the tow line extends will move upwardly to a substantially vertical position so that the tow line will be maintained where his readily visible out of engagement with the propeller of the craft to which the line is attached. 7

With continued reference to the drawing, a boat 10 is propelled by an outboard motor 11. 'The boat is provided at itsrear end with an eye screw 12 to which is attached a bridle 13 of a tow rope 14, having a handle 15 at its rear end which may be held by a water skier, all of which are of conventional construction. Ordi narily when the handle 15 is released or tension on the tow rope 14 is relaxed, the tow rope will sinkinto the water and be diflicult to locate. Also it will be free to come in contact with the propeller which drives the boat and is likely to be damaged or severed.

In order to prevent, or at least reduce, the probability of damage to the rope and to the propeller, both of which are relatively expensive, the tow rope being of high quality material such as one of the polyestrine fibres, or the like, a tow rope elevator is provided in the form of an elongated member such as a rod 16 of spring steel having a loop or eye 17 at one end, a coil 18 in its intermediate portion, and a base 19 for attachment to a suitable mounting bracket or the like.

The base portion 19 of the elevating member may be secured in position on the boat in any desired manner. In Figs. 3 and 4, the base portion 19 is located in an opening 20 in a bracket 21, such base being secured in fixed relation in said bracket by means of a set screw 22. The bracket 21 is provided with a lateral extension or flange 23 to which a pair of angle arms 24 are attached by means of screws 25 and nuts 26, such screws passing through openings 27 in the arms 24. The arms 24 diverge and are provided with openings for the reception of threaded mounting lugs 29 and nuts 30 on the under side of the upper portion of the outboard motor 11.

The tow rope 14 is placed in the loop or eye 17 and during the use of the tow rope due to the tension thereon the body of the elevator will be disposed in substantially horizontal position but when the tension on the tow rope is relieved, due to its springiness, the loop or eye 17 of the elevator will return to upright position lifting the tow rope so that it can be readily seen and grasped and at the same time kept out of the way of the propeller of the towing craft.

In lieu of the mounting means for the elevator shown in Figs. 3 and 4, other types of mounting means may be employed, such as for example, a bracket having angular portions 31 and 32 disposed substantially at right angles one to the other and provided with openings 33 for fasteners 34 by means of which the bracket may be attached to a boat instead of by the screw eyes 12 of Fig. 1 on only one side as illustrated in Fig. 5, the bracket 31 having an opening 35 for the base 19 of the elevator and also having a set screw 36 by which the elevator may be secured in position.

It will be understood from the foregoing that by the use of the present invention the grasping of a tow line will be facilitated whether in water skiing or in other activity and at the same time likelihood of damage to the tow rope and to the propeller will be materially reduced.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a boat having a propeller for driving the same and a tow rope extending from said boat, of a tow rope elevator comprising a bracket attached to said boat, anda member mounted on said bracket and having agloop for loosely receiving said tow rope and having, between said loop and the mounting portion'of saidme mber, a resilient portion so that when tension is applied to, said rope said member may yield to permit its loop portion to follow the lineof said rope and when said tension is released said loop may return 'to its normal position carrying said rope with it.

2l The co'mbinati0n of claim 1 wherein the loop is v at right angle to the said member, to prevent kinking or bending of the tow rope when under a strain.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said elevator is mounted in fixed relation to the propeller and which moves through an arc to prevent possibility of the tangling of the line therein.

4. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said resilient portion comprises a helical coil spring to allow for the yielding of the member in any direction about its axis.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which the elevator is mounted to one side of the propeller, being fixedly connected to the rear of the boat, whereby the resilient portion maintains the rope to one side of the propeller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,476,395 Davis Dec. 4, 1923 2,215,292 Koscierzyna Sept. 17, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,162 France Feb. 2, 1926 

